Learning Experience
by NekoHikari145
Summary: Ok, so maybe it hadn't been Nariko's best idea in the world. But Mana was going along with it and they needed the training. Besides they kicked ass... at least they did sometimes.


"So Nariko, why exactly are we coming in here? By ourselves? You do realize once the others figure out where we are they're going to kick our asses all over the cultural festival right?" The purple haired girl asked her newest friend, setting intense blue eyes on her. Nariko fixed a bow in her short copper blonde hair absent mindedly. "Well Mana…. They haven't really been taking us with them since they started coming in here. So I thought that we could train some together and maybe… see that FOE everyone has been talking about?" Nariko trailed off questioningly, staring at Mana with pleading violet eyes.

"Um…. You know Nariko I'm not exactly a fan of haunted houses in the first place and I know that were strong right now but I don't think it's safe for just the TWO of us to be wandering around without any form of back up," Mana replied and looked everywhere but at the puppy dog eyes she was receiving right now. "Oh come on please? I'm so sick of Junpei gloating about how he's getting stronger that me…. He also said earlier that I couldn't protect Naoto as well as he could," Nariko said in a low voice and hung her head.

Mana's teeth grinded together and her eyes narrowed in anger. "You shouldn't listen to that bastard, he's had no personal growth in his life what so ever so he doesn't know how to treat others properly. Naoto is with you and I highly doubt that will ever change because the two of you are perfect together," she said and grabbed Nariko into a tight hug. The other girl froze for a minute before slowly returning the hug. "Well if we're going to do this let's get to it before were found out, ok?" Mana said when the hug was over and smiled brightly at Nariko who nodded and smiled back with gratitude in her eyes.

A couple of hours later of training, wandering around the labyrinth, and yelps of fear from Mana over things popping out at them, they were tired but satisfied with their growth and were slowly making their way back to the entrance. "Really should have thought to bring a Gohom gem, its annoying having to walk all the way back when were ready to get the hell out," Mana whined and Nariko just rolled her eyes. "Hey at least we haven't seen that baby they were talking about and we've pretty much killed off the shadows on this floor now," she said and raised an eyebrow when Mana suddenly stopped and looked around with a confused and slightly scared expression on her face.

"What's wrong Mana?" she asked and walked back over to the other girl with a concerned frown on her face. "I… Thought I heard something… like a rattle," Mana said before shaking herself physically and mentally. "No I must have been imagining things from being in here too long, let's just hurry up and leave," she said and grabbed the sleeve of Nariko's uniform, pulling her along quickly.

Mana and Nariko were walking quickly toward where the map said the exit was when there was a sudden loud rattle and something fell from the ceiling, landing right in from of them. "OH MY GOD WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Mana screamed and clung to Nariko, both staring with wide eyes as a large baby with a bloody bag over its head got up on its knees and stared at them, the lone eyehole in the bag was dark but they could feel it staring them down.

"That is so fucked up, it had to be a baby of all things. Can we run now?" Mana whimpered and when Nariko nodded slowly both of them turned and took off running with the FOE right behind them. "It's blocked the way to the door! What are we gonna do?!" Nariko yelled and glanced back to see the thing still chasing them. "Keep running until it stops following us!" Mana replied, grabbing Nariko's hand and forcing the shorted girl to run faster. The two ran, turning several corners and sadly finding no doors to run through with the thing still hot on their trail.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" Mana yelled, panting when they suddenly came to a dead end, turning around just in time and pushing them both to the ground as the FOE took a swing at them. "Nariko go get help while I distract it!" she yelled and tried to usher the other girl into running around the FOE. "Hell no you can't pull that shit with me, I know for a fact that you ran out of energy in that last battle after healing me. Are you asking me to leave you here to die?!" Nariko yelled at the older girl in shock before yelping when she was suddenly hit hard in the side and sent flying into a wall.

"NARIKO!" Mana yelled before turning to glare at the FOE who had them cornered. "Alright you bastard come and get it," she growled, feeling the electricity embedded into her staff zing as she twirled it. When it took a swing at her she quickly dodged and hit it hard on the head before jumping back again. Mana yelped when it took a swing at her again and she slipped in the (hopefully) fake blood, knocking her head hard against the floor. She groaned as her vision blurred slightly when she tried to sit up and when she finally managed to stand she was knocked down again by a powerful it.

"D-Dammit," she groaned, spitting a little bit of blood out of her mouth before turning to look at Nariko who was slowly regaining consciousness to the left of her. "I'm not going to let it end this way," Mana said to herself, forcing her tired and sore body into a standing position once again before turning to face the FOE. "Your just playing with me aren't you, you bastard," Mana growled, her entire body shaking from the strain of keeping herself up. 'Even if I die I'm not going to let it kill Nariko,' she thought to herself and let out a war cry, pulling out energy that she didn't have and summoned her persona and striking the FOE with electricity. It let out and pained cry and fell to the floor stunned.

Mana gasped for breath a fell to her knees, looking back over to Nariko who was now slowly sitting up and holding her head. "HEY CAN YOU TWO HEAR ME, JUST HOLD ON! AKIHIKO, MINATO, NAOTO, AND SHINJIRO ARE ON THEY'RE WAY!" A voice suddenly buzzed through both their heads. Mana felt a sense of relief go through her at that and smiled when she heard pounding footsteps running in their direction. 'I think I'll just pass out and save my lecture for when I wake up,' she thought to herself before everything went dark.

~0~

Mana slowly came to, to the smell of medicine and a hand gently running its fingers through her hair. 'To open my eyes or not open them, the decision is a great and perilous one,' she thought to herself while enjoying the hand basically petting her head. "Stop the monologue in your head and open your eyes, I know your awake," A calm voice said and Mana groaned aloud before slowly opening one eye to see Minato's face staring straight at her. "So… how much trouble are we in?" she mumbled, flinching when the door to the room suddenly opened with a bang.

"Is she awake Minato?" A deep, rough voice questioned and Mana stared at Minato pleadingly with her one open eye, receiving a stare that gave away nothing in return. "No she's not, but I'll be sure to tell you when she is," Minato said in a soothing voice as he continued to run his fingers through his friend's hair. A sigh came from the door before it was shut once again, this time more gently than it was opened. "What Nariko and you did was stupid, you realize you two could have just asked and we would have trained with you. You two could have died," Minato said with a hard edge to his voice.

"You know, you're much scarier than Mitsuru when your angry with me, feel proud that my terror of your wrath outweighs hers," Mana said with a nervous little giggle, yelping when her cheek was suddenly pinched. "My wrath is nothing compared to Shinjiro's when he finally gets hold of you," he said and Mana paled at the thought as Minato released her now red cheek and stood slowly. "Nariko has already received her punishment from Naoto, Souji thought it best that she do it considering that Naoto cares for her more than anything and she's the only one Nariko will really listen to," he said as he slowly walked towards the door.

"Wait are you trying to say you're leaving my fate in the hands of Shinji?!" Mana questioned and quickly sat up in the bed. "Yes, its best when lovers decide punishments for the other," he said as he opened the door. "WERE NOT LOVERS!" Mana yelled with a red face, before realizing how loud her voice was and slapping a hand over her mouth. Minato turned and gave Mana a little smirk before moving out of the way a Shinjiro rushed into the room before quickly making his exit.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! PULLING CRAZY SHIT LIKE THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE A THING! FROM NOW ON EVERY TIME WE GO IN THE LABYRITHS YOU STICKING CLOSE TO ME! AND YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED ANY FORM OF CANDY UNTIL I SAY SO!" Shinjiro's yell could be heard all throughout the floor they were on. Nariko winced when she heard it, glancing at Naoto who was still fuming. She rubbed her sore ear that Naoto had dragged her around by since waking up and looked in the direction of the nurse's room.

'Man, this is going to be a long and painful punishment for the both of us,' she thought to herself flinching again when she heard Mana's whine of distress come from the room as the berating continued. A few minutes later the door could be heard opening and Shinjiro came out with Mana following behind him looking properly berated, both of them taking seats across from Naoto and Nariko. "So Shinjiro I have deduced that the punishments given will not be enough to teach them a lesson, we will have to think on more," Naoto said and when Shinjiro glanced at them both and nodded in agreement both girls paled and looked at each other. Neither spoke, but their eyes told each other the same thing. 'Were so screwed,' they thought at the same time as Naoto and Shinjiro started brainstorming ideas aloud.


End file.
